Русский

Россия

Казахстан

Армения

Азербайджан

Грузия

Киргизия

Таджикистан

Крым

Евразия

How to Listen

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty broadcasts in 28 languages. Most of our programs are available on FM and medium-wave frequencies of local radio stations in the countries of our broadcast area. If you are having problems listening to programs on the internet, please read our technical help document.

Both the image and the implication were disturbing: a splayed corpse in an open field that Russian state television suggested was that of a civilian killed by Kyiv's forces to intimidate pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donetsk region.

But the footage of the corpse featured in a May 16 newscast by state-owned broadcaster Rossia-1 appears to be identical to video material aired 18 months earlier in a report on an antiterrorist operation in Russia's restive North Caucasus region.

In its report on fighting between Ukrainian federal forces and militias backing the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic near the city of Slovyansk, Rossia-1 set up the footage of the corpse by saying that "every day peaceful civilians continue to die."

The body is then shown lying on the ground next to a handgun as the voiceover explains that the Ukrainian National Guard killed a man whom the armed separatists did not recognize as their own. The weapon was left at the scene to "send a message that an enemy was killed," Rossia-1 explained.

The report, however, shows what appears to be the exact same footage that its sister channel, Rossia-24, used in a November 18, 2012, report about a counterterrorist operation in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.

Five militants were killed in that operation, Rossia-24 reported at the time.

In addition to showing what seems to be the same corpse, both the May 16 report from Ukraine and the 2012 report on the Kabardino-Balkaria operation include apparently identical footage of four armed, uniformed men surveying a grassy, fog-swept field.

The same raw footage was posted on YouTube the same day as the 2012 report on the counterterrorist operation, with Russia's National Antiterrorism Committee cited as the source.

In the May 16 report, Rossia-1 also interviewed a masked separatist holding an assault rifle who alleged that Ukrainian commanders operating in the area had executed their own soldiers who refused to obey "antipopular" orders.

Ukrainian and Western officials have accused the Russian media of engaging in naked propaganda to promote the Kremlin's message that the government in Kyiv is illegitimate and is backing "fascists" bent on persecuting ethnic Russians and Ukrainians who oppose its authority.

Last month, a nationally televised documentary in Russia suggested the Ukrainian government was building an internment camp for those "who speak out" against Ukrainian ultranationalists and for people whom "the current authorities in Kyiv call separatists."

Construction of the facility shown in the documentary, however, was begun in 2012 under then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia in late February following mass protests in Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities.

The building is part of an EU-funded project to temporarily house illegal migrants.

Comments

Is English not your first language--or are you just too lazy to make your sentence make sense?

by: Eugenio from: Vienna

May 20, 2014 17:58

Aha, "Russian propaganda" just keeps lying about Ukraine all the time: contrary to what the Russian TV says, you know, Ukraine has become a prosperous country where everyone is happy, people support the US-imposed Kiev junta to such an extent that they are ready to jump out of any window showing their support for the US-promoted "values".The next stage of the Russian propaganda campaing will start on June 3rd as Gazprom interrupts gas supplies to Ukraine. So, don't believe anyone that this step will further undermine the Ukrainian economy: in fact, Ukraine will be much better off without stinky Russian gas. You don't believe? Just continue reading RFE/RL and watching CNN - they will tell you that this is true :-)).

In Response

by: johnjo from: Dublin

May 21, 2014 13:57

Eugenio, you are pure gas, the gibberish you throw on here is unbelievable...just like Putin's "Russian Media". Don't work for them do you?

As for Jack above...he must live in a "Box". Get it?

In Response

by: Eugenio from: Vienna

May 22, 2014 11:15

See, Johnjo, while you were talking Hillary-like crap on the forum, 8 Ukrainian servicemen have been killed by pro-Russian freedom fighters near the town of Volnovakha. And this will go on day after day, week after week until your Kiev-based terrorist friends suffer the same destiny your terrorist friends suffered in Syria - their complete defeat and relocation back to Miami or some or US cloaka.And there is absolutely nothing neither you nor Hilary can do about it: just stand nearby, stupidly looking at things unravel, and get defeated on every corner of this world, be in in Afghanistan, Irak, Syria, Venezuela or Ukraine.Source on the extermination of the US-paid Ukrainian losers: http://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2014/05/22/7026074/

About #UkraineUnspun

The information war is in full swing in the tense standoff between Ukraine and Russia. In an attempt to present a clearer picture, #UkraineUnspun will unravel information coming from Russian and Ukrainian media, politicians and activists. Written by Glenn Kates and contributors from RFE/RL.

Follow the hashtag #UkraineUnspun on Twitter and let us know what we should be covering -- or to weigh in on any of our stories. Or write us at webteam@rferl.org